The Federal Government has introduced a package of bills that will aim to reform the way in which the country regulates all commercial vessels within territorial waters. The legislation will replace the seven existing Federal, state and territory bureaucracies and the fifty separate pieces of legislation they administer with a single national regulator and one set of nationwide laws.

 

The legislation will see the Australian Maritime Safety Authority (AMSA) become the national regulator of all commercial vessels in Australian waters.

 

The Federal Government will also aim to lift safety standards by introducing a streamlined national system.

 

The legislation now before the Parliament will eliminate the artificial sea borders which have existed between the states since Federation.  From 1 January 2013, the Australian Maritime Safety Authority (AMSA) will become the national regulator of all commercial vessels, not just those involved in international trade.

 

The Australian Logistics Council (ALC) has welcomed the move by the Federal Government.

 

“These maritime safety laws are part of a broader transport reform package that involves establishing single national regulators for rail safety, maritime safety and heavy vehicles,” ALC Managing Director Michael Kilgariff said. 

 

The $10.2 million funding requirement was provided in the Federal Budget and forms part of the government’s amove to reverse the decline of Australia’s domestic shipping industry.